In this episode of the Tri-State Time Machine, host Vanessa Hankins dives into the rich history of The Frederick building with guest Josh Garnes. From its construction in 1906 to its role as a central hub in Huntington, WV, The Frederick has seen it all.

Josh shares his personal experiences working in the building and some eerie ghost stories that will send shivers down your spine. They also discuss the famous people who stayed at The Frederick, including Richard Nixon and Liberace, and the iconic restaurants that once graced its halls.

Special thanks to:

• The Facebook group (3) Huntington WV You Grew Up In H-Town If... | Facebook for information and photos 
• Frederick Hotel - Clio (theclio.com)
• My wonderful grandfather-in-law and family members for research
• My guest Josh Garnes

Memorable Moments

00:48 Josh Garnes worked in the Frederick

01:32 The Frederick building was built in 1906 in a neoclassical style

03:08 Take a wild guess at how much it cost in 1906 to build The Frederick building

05:14 The Frederick building had over 300 tons of iron and 4000 electric lights

08:13 The need for space in Huntington had grown so big that Frederick Miller built The Frederick

09:17 21 Club at the Frederick used to be Papa Catoni's Elephant Walk

14:02 The Elephant Walk later became Mings.

18:46 What is your favorite dish at 21 Club?

20:04 John Hankins owned the Frederick Hotel for 25 years

24:03 The hotel closed on July 30, 1973, and was converted to residential and business spaces

32:57 Erica says she heard a woman walking in high heels in her apartment

37:46 Let's talk about famous people who visited the Frederick

38:45 President Richard Nixon was here, stayed at this hotel, musician Liberace

42:09 The movie We Are Marshall came out in 2006

TriState Time Machine is brought to you by Alex R. White, PLLC. They are a Personal Injury law firm that concentrates on helping victims of negligence, recklessness, or the bad acts of someone else. They ensure that their clients understand the potential of their cases and work to maximize that potential in each case.

If you have a memory you would want me to talk more about, just send me an email at TSTM@mail.com. Or post a comment on the Tri-State Machine FB Group page.

Copyright 2024 Vanessa Hankins

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

This is the Tri State Time Machine, brought to you by Alex R. White, pllc@suedistracteddriver.com. each week, your host, Vanessa Hankins, and her guests share memories and stories about the past, the present, and the future of the Tri State area. That's West Virginia, Kentucky, and the Ohio areas. If you used to live here or you currently live here, you're going to catch yourself saying out loud, wow, I remember that now. Here's Vanessa.

Vanessa: Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Tri State Time machine. We're excited to be back. We're on episode three. Yeah. You're counting that, right? Three? I've made it three. Successful. This will be my third successful episode, uh, if it all goes well, hoping that it does, I think it will.

Josh Garnes worked in The Frederick

Uh, we're here with Josh Garnes, and we are talking the Frederick Josh, how are you doing?

Josh Garnes: Wonderful. Thanks for having me on your show.

Vanessa: I'm excited. You, uh, worked in the Frederick so.

Josh Garnes: Yes, I actually had a little storefront in the Frederick So, yeah, it was, like, right beside of St. Mark's.

Vanessa: Yeah, we got to small talking about that. So I thought that Josh was going to be the perfect person to have on for this episode. Uh, we're going to talk about some crazy facts, and Josh doesn't know any of these facts, so, uh, I think it's going to be pretty cool to share them with him. Um, I'm pretty mind blown by these. I've read them, I've wrote them, I've reread them and rewrote them a million times. Um, Josh can attest. I have about a million pieces of paper here in front of me. Did, um, not want to mess this episode up. Didn't want to mess the numbers up.

ederick building was built in: 1906

Frederick building, built in: 1906

Josh Garnes: I don't know what that is, either. I'm not in doctor texture.

y the same way that it was in: 1906

Josh Garnes: The chandeliers are a little bit different right now.

Vanessa: Chandeliers are updated. And there is actually a fireplace, too. I'm glad you said that. There's a fireplace that was added.

Josh Garnes: John Hagens added those, right?

Vanessa: Yep, John added those. Um, and that fireplace is super cool. It's got a whole other story. We'll talk about that on another episode. But doesn't, uh, really fit in this one.

Josh Garnes: But, uh, it reminds me of, uh, an old hunting lodge look.

Vanessa: Yes, that's very John Hankins from, like.

Josh Garnes: The thirties or something.

Vanessa: Yes, that's very John Hankins. Uh, and if anybody hears any panning or any barking, maybe we'll see what happens.

Josh: Banjo turns ten today on a birthday excursion

But, uh, we've got who here with us, Josh.

Josh Garnes: His name is Banjo. He's, uh, my puppy dog. And he's. He's panting right now, but he's, ah, he's ten years old today, so I thought I'd take him on a. On a. Everything I'm doing adventure today.

Vanessa: Birthday excursion.

Josh Garnes: Birthday excursion.

Vanessa: We're happy to have you and banjo with us.

Josh Garnes: Thank you.

Vanessa: Um, okay.

guess at how much it cost in: 1906

guess at how much it cost in: 1906

Josh Garnes: I used to know this.

Vanessa: Pull that memory bank.

Josh Garnes: I'm thinking like 1.5 million.

Vanessa: So you think that in today's money.

Josh Garnes: No, not today's money. That was what they paid then, right?

Vanessa: Okay, so it was 400,000 to build it.

Josh Garnes: I said 1.5. So I was up three. Three.

Vanessa: You were up three? Yeah. So. But that doesn't take into account 100,000. That was only the furnishing. So, I mean, you are way, way off. Way, way off without furnishings. Um, but today's money, that would be 14 million to build that. If we were to build it again today. And again, like I just said, that was an additional 100,000 of just furnishings that were all from Chicago. Everything was, uh, brought in by railroad cars, which I thought was really, really cool. All the shopping that they did for the furnishings came that way.

Josh Garnes: Interesting.

Vanessa: Yeah, I thought it was super cool. Um, it was said to be the most elegant hotel between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. And at the Time of its building, it was the second largest structure. Second to. Can you guess what other structure in the State?

Josh Garnes: In this State?

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: Was it the West Virginia building? Was it.

Vanessa: No, it was the State building. Like the capitol itself.

Josh Garnes: Oh, okay. When did they build the West Virginia building? I don't know, but I guess it had been after then.

Vanessa: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Since it's the biggest. Yeah. Um, and take a wild guess on how much the rooms were to rent. No clue in either way. From one dollar to four dollars, which I did the math, and it's really crazy cause I was thinking it was gonna be something outrageous. In today's money, that's only $34.90 to around $160.79. In today's money.

Josh Garnes: Yes. Pretty cheap.

Vanessa: Yeah, like really cheap. Like you can't get a hotel for that anymore unless you are definitely taking bedbugs home with you and maybe having someone knocking on the door selling you some drugs. Right?

Josh Garnes: Yeah.

Vanessa: So I thought that was pretty crazy in today's money that that was such a big discrepancy in what I would assume a hotel like that for its time would have cost.

Josh Garnes: So I wonder what a basic hotel would have cost then. That would have been like pennies.

Vanessa: Oh, now I have something new to look up.

Josh Garnes: Interesting.

Vanessa: Yeah. Pretty cool.

tons of iron and: 4000

miles of electric wire,: 4000

Josh Garnes: Uh.

Vanessa: So electric lights, 200 telephones, 65 office spaces, 1 bar, two restaurants, two dining rooms, a billiard room, a turkish bath, a barbershop, a pharmacy, a variety of retail spaces, a cigar stand, the ballroom and a shoeshine stand.

Josh Garnes: So we all know where the restaurant is, but where was the two restaurants?

Vanessa: Actually?

Josh Garnes: Oh, there was two restaurants.

Vanessa: I found this out after the fact. Uh, you've been in this family for years and I found out about the second restaurant and it's a whole other State. We'll talk about that in a second.

Josh Garnes: Okay, yeah. Interesting. I never heard of that either.

Vanessa: So which one? Do you want to know where it is? The turkish bath.

Josh Garnes: You said the turkish bath. Any of the other places?

Vanessa: Yes. So when you come in the building, you go straight and there's a, like an office space that's directly in front of you when you come in the main doors. Um, you go down through the corridor there and the turkish bath was in there. And that was a men's only, like spa and club. Yeah. Pretty cool for its Time.

Josh Garnes: Never heard of that. Pretty, pretty cool, right?

Vanessa: It's still there. Still there.

Josh Garnes: Is it still being used?

Vanessa: By not being used. Not being used. Could you imagine if we still had something in today's world like that. Uh, we do in other countries, but not here in America. Right. Um. But yeah. Super, super cool that that existed there. But that was also, um. If you don't go down the corridor, that is also where the second restaurant was. That was called the Bonanza room.

Josh Garnes: Interesting.

Vanessa: Yeah, pretty cool. Um, where your office was, from my understanding and from the history that I looked up and read about used to be a radio talk show play location.

Josh Garnes: What? So I always looked up trying to figure out what was there over the years. And I never was able to figure it out.

Vanessa: I forget the name and I don't have it written down in front of me. So I apologize. But, um. I forget the name of the radio station. But it was a, uh, top 40 radio station.

Josh Garnes: Interesting.

Vanessa: Yeah. And a lot of people work there over, like in the Tri State. It was pretty cool learning about that before I or.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. But right before I was there, it was a audio sound place. And then, uh, before that, it must have been some kind of clothing place because it was like the shelvings. It looks like shelves from a store m that was in there.

Vanessa: Probably old from rights, I bet, like space maybe that they used. I don't know, maybe storage space or something.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. Never did figure that out.

Vanessa: Now, when I go on my excursion to go get some photos for this episode I'm gonna have to go over there and figure that out and ask, um, John talk his ear off again.

The need for space in Huntington had grown so big that Fredrick Miller built the Fredrick

So we talked about central realty company of Huntington building. Um, this building, uh, and what a big deal that it was. But what, um, we didn't talk about is why the Frederick was built. The need for space in Huntington had grown so big that this just Frederick Miller decided there has to be a nicer place for people to come in Huntington because we're running out of space. We have nowhere. Because at the Time, you know, the railroad was booming. You had, uh. Down in Westmoreland like we talked about in the last episode. You had magazine, um, Avenue. Uh. Well, was or is now magazine Avenue. But it was, uh, an ammunition manufacturer. Um. So all these big Machine and industrial companies were existing in Huntington at the Time. But there was nowhere for anyone to live because industry had taken over so much of the land.

Josh Garnes: There was probably a lot of bigwigs that run these big companies that needed a place to stay. So definitely a need.

Vanessa: Yeah. So that's why the Frederick came about.

The 21 Club at The Fredrick used to be Papa Catoni's Elephant Walk

All right, Josh, let's talk about some of the well known restaurants that were inside the Frederick building. Um, we talked a little bit about uh, 21 the Frederick there briefly in the beginning of our conversations. Um, but what was or what is 21 at the Frederick used to be papa Catoni's elephant walk. Everyone else knows it as elephant walk. Have you heard of him before?

Josh Garnes: I've never heard of papa Catoni's, no?

Vanessa: Is that an italian? I guess, yeah. Doing my research, I came across the papa Catonis, and I was just like, what in the world? I've never heard of this. Um, but I found some old ads on, um. You grew up in Huntington if Facebook page. So shout out to them for a lot of the things that I got to learn about. There's a lot of historians that are participating that page. Are you on that page at all?

Josh Garnes: I'm not. I need to get on there.

or laws that they found after: 1941

y have it? When did it become: 1961

Vanessa: 60? 119? 61. So, um, they, uh. I guess in today's world, we know things, information is at our fingertips. So, back then, this is the only thing that I can imagine, is that it took that gap to decide, what is the need here? And they already had their other restaurants, so they, uh, from my understanding, weren't serving alcohol at all after the prohibition. So that's interesting. Um, yeah, so they saw the need here and opened this up, and it was a private club. That was the only way that you could sell by the drink was if it was a private members only club. So, pretty cool if you got to go to the elephant walk in the beginning, uh, that you had to be a member. Um, it's said that ritter woke up in the middle of the night, and he had the Book, the elephant walk, laying beside him, and that's how he came up with the name. So after that, when they came up with the name, they went and furnished the space with everything. Elephant. You've got some photos in front of you, um, if you would like to describe it to those. And I know that you've been a 21 at the Frederick which it's still the same, so go ahead and describe it to our listeners.

this stuff has held up since: 1969

Vanessa: It looks like, very manly.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, very, very, uh, masculine. What John Hankins actually likes, if I would think of him actually redoing anything and making it look like something. So he bought something that he actually already, which.

Vanessa: And he was friends with John at this Time, or with. With Bill. Sorry, with Bill at this Time. Him and Bill were friends, um, which is how he ended up owning the building. But, uh, maybe he had some input.

Josh Garnes: I don't know.

Vanessa: I'm not saying that he did, but, uh, it wouldn't surprise me. Um, so, yeah, uh, they went out and got the finest, most lavish decorations that they could that related to elephants. And, um, it is said that they even brought a baby elephant to the opening.

Josh Garnes: I read that somewhere, too.

Vanessa: Yeah. But there's nothing that says 100% that that happened. That's just hearsay.

Josh Garnes: It seems like it would be in the Herald dispatch or something like that.

Vanessa: There's got to be anything historical that stated. But everyone from the Time period that's still alive swears that he brought in an elephant to the opening.

Josh Garnes: Uh, m I still can't believe that it's all. Everything's the same, because.

Vanessa: And it's in great shape. If you've never gone in there to eat, like, even if you don't want to eat, you just want to go grab a drink. I mean, it is the greatest little place to, like, pull up a stool, sit on the little elephant foot, and just take in the elegance that surrounds you.

Josh Garnes: And restaurants are really hard on spaces, period, you know, because they have to stay clean them constantly, and just even over the years of cleaning wears things out.

Vanessa: Yeah. And the bar, like, uh, I don't know if you've ever sit at the bar, but, I mean, it's covered in that leather. I mean, and it's in great shape, too. Like, I mean, it's.

Josh Garnes: Isn't the actual bar metal, though? Like the.

Vanessa: Yes, yes.

Josh Garnes: Like copper, I think. Be copper.

Vanessa: Yep.

Josh Garnes: Yeah.

Vanessa: Super cool.

The Elephant Walk later become Mings.

the elephant walk is that in: 1977

Josh Garnes: Stone lodge, wasn't it?

e so many. Um, that closed in: 1964

Josh Garnes: I feel like the elephant walk or mings.

a short Time period after, in: 1980

Josh Garnes: Yeah, that's.

was kind of like he opened at: 06:00

Josh Garnes: No life at all.

Vanessa: No life at all. And then when he closed in 19, uh, 98 there at the Frederick he moved down to where he originally worked at.

Josh Garnes: So he was there from 73 to 98?

Vanessa: He was there from: 1980

Josh Garnes: Out of high school.

Vanessa: It's funny, the memories that you make.

Josh Garnes: Wow.

of: 2009

Josh Garnes: He probably looked like it if he didn't.

Vanessa: Like. He's like a very well aged man. In my research, um, he and his wife, I think his wife's name was Lisa. Um, she did the front, he did the back, and they worked their butts off.

Josh Garnes: Is he still around this area?

Vanessa: Well, from my understanding, from my facebooking, as of three years ago, he was the neighbor to someone that had commented and still living very well and enjoying retirement.

Josh Garnes: That's awesome.

Vanessa: Yeah. Wow.

Josh Garnes: That's amazing.

Vanessa: Super cool. But, uh, they were kind of known for their big thing was the poo poo platter, which I'm like, you really? Are you gonna order the poo poo platter?

Josh Garnes: What is a poo poo platter?

Vanessa: I've heard of it before. I've looked. I can't find anything on it.

Josh Garnes: This is duck sauce. Is it really duck, or is it poo poo platter? Huh?

ub at the Frederick opened in: 2005

What is your favorite dish at 21 Club?

What is your favorite dish at the 21 club?

Josh Garnes: Um, I used to get the ribeye, but I don't think they have that anymore. Um, so then I would get the New York strip, but they had a smoked, uh, Gouda and Mac and cheese with some kind of panko crumbles on top.

Vanessa: So good.

Josh Garnes: I would eat that at least once a week there whenever I, uh, had my office downtown, so.

Vanessa: Oh, lucky you.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, it was lucky.

Vanessa: We just go for, like, special occasions, like anniversaries and birthdays. Yeah, you're just having lunch there. Look at you, fancy pants.

Josh Garnes: Gouda was good.

Vanessa: You're like, I get off work, and I'm just gonna go have a little.

Josh Garnes: Bit of a. I would crave that smoked gouda.

Vanessa: I mean, it really is the best. Yeah, it's so good.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. That was my favorite when they had the ribeye. It was my favorite 100%.

Vanessa: What I love about the 21 club, too, is that, uh, like I mentioned, mark Cross left everything intact from the elephant walk. And like we talked about, it's so elegant in there. It's so masculine, and the energy that it gives off. You feel like you're dining somewhere fancy. You feel like you are and dining back in Time. Yes. You literally step back in Time, and you feel like your dollars are worth every bit of it for just the experience, let alone that the food is great.

Josh Garnes: Have you ever been to the green bar? And, um, certain rooms have that feel right there.

Vanessa: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Like you're walking John Hankins thing. Right, right, absolutely.

John Hankins owned the Fredrick hotel for 25 years or so

Um, some other things that I wanted to mention, um, and we didn't talk about them too awful much. Um, were the rooms that were inside the Frederick and you mentioned the green bar, which is what made me think of this. Um, they had a room called the guyan dot room. They had a room, ah, that was called the terrace room, which eventually became the elephant walk, which then became 21 or mings, and then 21 club. Um, they had the crystal room, which was a private dining room that you could rent, uh, if you were there, staying at the Frederick with your family or maybe on business.

Josh Garnes: Where is that?

Vanessa: I don't know where.

Josh Garnes: We need to find out where all these cool little historic areas.

Vanessa: I know. I tried so hard to pinpoint all of this, and I think what I'm gonna have to do is just, uh, grab John Hankins by the arm and say, grandpa, lead me. Show me all these places.

Josh Garnes: And I know he's done a lot of work to these, uh, different rooms since he's owned it.

Vanessa: Yes.

Josh Garnes: He had it for 25 years or so. So he, uh. I wonder if he's found any, like, cool artifacts, like, in the walls or, like, just something that was covered up on the walls or.

Vanessa: It's funny you ask, and I'm sure you know this, uh, but people that have not been in the Frederick or haven't, um, gone to the 21 club, John has an entire hallway full of old medicine, um, cabinets, the glass cabinets.

Josh Garnes: Oh, he found that stuff in here.

Vanessa: So all of a lot. Well, not all. Most of that stuff is stuff that he found in the building. And I did not know that gathered historically over the years of his ownership and stuff that he's gathered. Yeah. Pretty cool. Right? Yeah.

Josh Garnes: I didn't even know that. That's cool. Especially, I thought he just collected it over the years and just put it on display and.

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: Huh.

Vanessa: It's really cool. And then, like, something I think is, like, super awesome is, um, my mother in law has some of the furnishings, like the, um, plates that were used in the. I guess what would have been the terrace room that just said hotel Frederick on them, you know, and the very small scribe on the plates.

Josh Garnes: Interesting. Super.

Vanessa: Ah, cool. We, um, have some of the elephant walk throw away able disposable cups in our apartment that we have.

Josh Garnes: Throwable.

Vanessa: Yeah, throw away disposable. Disposable cups. Uh, yeah. Uh, you know, those are her Vanessa ism. If you ask my husband.

Josh Garnes: I say weird things like that, too, when I'm trying to just get it out.

Vanessa: Yeah, Braydon says those are my Vanessa isms. Um, but we still have some, like, some cups that, um, were part of the restaurant that we collected just from our random. When we lived in college. Living there or when we lived in college. See, there's another Vanessa ism, uh, when we were in college and wandered around the building. Um, I think another thing worth mentioning is rights. I don't know if you ever shop there, uh, but, uh, here and there, we got to go in, writes and pick out Christmas gifts or birthday gifts from John. Uh, did you ever go in writes?

Josh Garnes: I did, actually. Yeah, I went there and bought some, uh, dress clothes before.

Vanessa: It was the perfect place.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, it was. It was really neat. Uh, I knew a guy that worked there. I can't remember his name, but I guess it doesn't matter. I don't know. I was trying to think it was an older gentleman.

Vanessa: Oh, I wish Brandon was here so bad, because Brandon knows him by name. He knows everything about him because they were really good buddies.

Josh Garnes: Um, he played guitar on, like, fourth Avenue. Third Avenue.

Vanessa: Yes, yes, yes.

Josh Garnes: Oh, my goodness. Yeah, but he. That's how I met him. And then I actually had a bar down the street, and he would come in and hang out with me sometimes at the bar I owned. Uh, what was his name?

Vanessa: That's super cool.

Josh Garnes: I can't remember his name. Um, I haven't seen him in a few years, so I was wondering about him the other day. I haven't. I don't.

Vanessa: You know, is he not at rights now that they've relocated? Have you been over there?

Josh Garnes: Okay, I've been over there. Yeah. I haven't.

Vanessa: Maybe he finally retired.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, yeah, that's gonna. Well, that was a couple older gentlemen there, but there was. There was the owner, I guess, and there was another guy that worked there. So I'm thinking. I'm talking about the other guy.

Vanessa: I know you've already talked about Bill, but was his name Bill? Because I think there was a bill.

Josh Garnes: You know, uh, it's probably been at least five years since I've seen him.

Vanessa: This is going to drive me crazy.

Josh Garnes: But I did go buy another suit. Rights moved over to the new location on Third Avenue.

Vanessa: Yeah, I was going to say they're now on Third Avenue.

Josh Garnes: Yeah.

of: 1973

And it was an old gentleman that was. They helped me there, too, but I think he was the owner, so.

Vanessa: Yeah, I'll have to ask Brain and I'll text you later.

Josh Garnes: Super nice guy, but they were nice guys, right? Yeah.

of: 1973

Josh Garnes: You know, he has a lot of character, and he adds his touches to everything that he's, uh, involved in, so.

Vanessa: Absolutely.

Josh Garnes: It's pretty amazing, actually.

Vanessa: Let's talk about your time in the Frederick We talked at the beginning of the episode about how you had your first location there, um, after you left, what did you say? The mall?

Josh Garnes: Yeah. Yeah.

Vanessa: Did you tell me that?

Josh Garnes: Yeah, I used to have a bunch of cell phone accessory kiosks and malls, and then those eventually kind of dwindled away. Uh, and my last one was at the Huntington mall. Uh, and, um, somebody had bought out my lease, and I left the mall, uh, and the first. And John actually came. John Hankins came to me and said, hey, I have this little spot here that's been open for a while. Would you be interested in renting, uh, it out? And I was like, why not?

Vanessa: So, fun fact about John, he was actually the lawyer that brought the, um, mall to Barbersville.

Josh Garnes: Oh, really? I did not know that.

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: So it's his fault. That's after Huntington.

Vanessa: And I was gonna say they wanted to be in Huntington, but John said, here's a better idea, because he's a Barbersville guy. I don't know if you know that about him or not, but, yeah, he's a Barbersville guy. They lived in downtown Barsville. Um, the house that they lived in is still standing, that they raised their children in. My, um, husband and his family lived in a house right down the way. And, uh, their house has now been torn down. It's a bank. But, yeah, he's Barbersville guy, and he brought them all in. So, uh, John approached you?

Josh Garnes: Yeah. Uh, he came to me and said, hey, would you be interested in, uh. And he had actually done some, uh, legal real estate work for me m before. Uh, and he said he had that spot open. And, uh, he, uh, ended up. Ran it from him and had my office upstairs, and I had a little storefront downstairs. Uh, I mostly did, like, phone repairs, electronics repairs.

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: And, uh, yeah, I was there for probably about a year and a half, I guess.

Vanessa: So some crazy things kind of happened to you there. I want to hear a little bit about that because I love these stories.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. So, like I said, the downstairs was, uh, like a little where I had accessories and just like, a little showroom. And then the upstairs was where I actually, you know, my office was. And I would fix fixed phones. And there was a big window up front. You know, it was directly across into Keith albee. And I, um, would invite, uh, if I was fixing somebody's iPhone, I would say, if you want to come hang out while I'm fixing it, it'll take 30 minutes.

Vanessa: Everybody wants to go in the Frederick

Josh Garnes: Yeah. So they would come up to my office, and I'd fix their phone. And the first instance of something really weird happening in that place was I had wooden stairs that went up to my office. And I'm sitting there fixing this lady's phone, and we hear footsteps, uh, going up, like it sound like, uh, high heeled shoes or hard bottom shoes.

Vanessa: Yes.

Josh Garnes: And, uh, just immediately I thought of a woman coming up the stairs, and I thought maybe somebody came in. I didn't hear him come through the door. And, uh, so I was like, hold on a second. Let me go see who's coming. So I ran over to the top of the stairs, and there wasn't anybody there.

Vanessa: So that was your first instance?

Josh Garnes: That was my first instance.

Vanessa: How creepy things.

Josh Garnes: I looked up at the lady that was in my office, and she just, I guess she saw the look on my face and she said, there's nobody there, is there?

Vanessa: Oh, no.

Josh Garnes: And I said, no.

Vanessa: You know, it's bad when someone else. You're not the only one she saw.

Josh Garnes: I just saw the. I don't know if my facial expression changed or what. So I even went downstairs and looked around. There was nothing. Uh, so something else that happened a couple times. I used to have a, uh, nice stereo system up in my office, and I, uh, would work on phones and I would usually sell them on eBay or whatnot. And so I'd play music and I had a tv screen. I'd watch dvd, uh, concerts, uh, uh, and I'd also get phone calls while I'm up there. So I would turn the music down, uh, on the tv.

Vanessa: Right.

Josh Garnes: Or it would just be playing low.

Vanessa: Everything wasn't on your iPhone at that point in Time.

aying low. Yeah. This is like: 2011

Vanessa: These spirits were interfering with business.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, something else happened too. And, uh, the main reason I put cameras in there is because I had bells on the door downstairs, so I would know if somebody came in. I could hear the bells upstairs.

Vanessa: I have to pause you really quick. Those of you that don't know Josh, Josh is kind of known for his camera antics. So I love that you've been doing the camera thing and double checking. Yeah.

Josh Garnes: Like this is: 2011

Vanessa: Right.

Josh Garnes: So I'd be up there working and the bells would constantly go off. So I put cameras down there and actually my sister worked there too for a little bit. And the bells went off. So often, every day we would just look at the cameras and see if somebody was really there. And that's a big heavy metal.

Vanessa: Well, I was going to say the doors. The doors are heavy. Right. It's not going to move from the wind. Like, that's not happening.

Josh Garnes: That is not happening.

Vanessa: So I'll share a funny story. I don't know that I've shared this with you. Um, when I first did a dating, my husband, um, he and his sister shared an apartment on the fifth floor, um, which was down from actually, mister Bill Ritter's office when he was in the building. And we, uh, had been out, you know. Cause we were in college, we had been out all night. And I wake up to the wall being soaking wet, the mattress being soaking wet because the bed is like, up against the wall in his apartment. And, um, I wake him up and I'm like, hey, there's a leak. There's a leak. You know, we wake up. Cause he's the maintenance man at this point in Time.

Josh Garnes: Uh, Brandon was.

Vanessa: Yeah, he was the maintenance man for his grandfather. So I'm like, there's a leak, you know, we gotta go. Let's figure it out. Whatever. So we, we get up and he fills the wall. He sees the wall, he fills the bed. Everything is sopping wet. You have to go through his sister's apartment or apartment, her bedroom to get out of the apartment because this is like one of the old hotel rooms that they shared. Um, so we had woke up Erica, his sister, and we tell her what we're going to do, whatever. So she sees the chaos of the wetness and we, uh, go get flashlights and all the things, and we go to the top and we're trying to figure out where this leak is coming from. Before we can figure out who, we need to call in the family to say, like, hey, let's get fixed. So, uh, we get up there and we're thinking, you know, some kids have gotten in, because that's, that's a big thing. Everyone wants to, like, kind of get in the Frederick and look around, you know. So we thought maybe some kids had gotten in and broken something, uh, because nothing seemed out of sorts. Uh, we could not find anything broken. We were up there for over an hour. We called Brandon's grandfather. We called John. And because John knows everything about the building, so usually you can say XYz happened and he can say, oh, you know, it's right at this point, this is where you need to go. This is what room, you know? And he knows it all. So we, uh, wandered around. We don't find anything. So finally we go back down to our apartment or his apartment at the Time, and the, um, bed's not wet. The wall's not wet.

Josh Garnes: Wow.

Vanessa: It's like it never happened. It's like it never happened.

Josh Garnes: That's crazy.

Vanessa: Yeah, it was totally creepy. That was my first, like, creepy thing that ever happened there.

Josh Garnes: It's like major, too. That's not just like a creak of the night or a, uh, door opening that's like everything's soaking wet and now it's not.

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: What did John say about that? Did you tell him that would happen?

Vanessa: He laughed.

Josh Garnes: I said he probably used to it.

Vanessa: Yeah, he just laughs. Uh, I've never confirmed nor got a denial of John that he believes in the supernatural, uh, or the undead or the unliving. Um, but, yeah, he just kind of laughs about it. I, uh, can only imagine the things that have happened to him with him exploring the building himself and with all the history that he knows.

Erica says she heard a woman walking in high heels in her apartment

Um, another really cool thing that happened. And I say cool. It was very scary at the Time. Um, I was walking in by myself to my now husband's apartment. And the same shoes that you heard, like a high heel. Uh, heard it walking down the hall above me or the wall. Vanessa ism, uh, heard it walking across the ceiling above me, the floor above me, and very, you know, I knew exactly what it was. It was a woman walking in high heels. And so I told my husband, I was like, hey, I think someone's up on the 6th floor, which at the Time, there's nothing up there, so no one should be there. And so we go and explore. We can't find anything. We, uh, get to the second half, which is like the last unfinished part of the building. It's still exactly like it was from the hotel. Still really cool. Um, we went underneath this light that goes to this little bitty, tiny door that leads to the unfinished part. And when you would get underneath the certain light, the light would go out and it was ice cold. Ice cold. Every Time, once you get past it, light came back on. You feel normal.

Josh Garnes: That is weird.

Vanessa: So we sat there for a good ten minutes, like, testing our theory, like, that we weren't crazy, that we, you know, and we tried to find whoever was walking, and we never did. Um, I do know that there was a death that occurred on that floor.

Josh Garnes: Um, what floor was that?

Vanessa: The 6th floor.

Josh Garnes: Okay.

Vanessa: I knew that there was a death that occurred. Um, from my understanding, I have my personal opinions, but from my understanding, it was an accidental death. Um, but I think there was.

Josh Garnes: What was the story behind that?

Vanessa: Um, there was an office up there and there was a Christmas party going on in the lobby. And supposedly the wife caught the husband cheating.

Josh Garnes: I think I heard that story, yeah. A long time ago.

Vanessa: Yes, yes, yes, yes. And, uh, the wife ended up dead. Um, and I don't want to speak too much on it because from my understanding, the husband is still living and did not get in trouble for the death.

Josh Garnes: Oh, my goodness.

Vanessa: Right. But anybody that you talk to, how.

Josh Garnes: Long ago did it happen?

Vanessa: I would think it was, like, the eighties or nineties.

Josh Garnes: Oh, wow. So not that long ago.

Vanessa: Yeah. Yeah, this wasn't like, can you imagine.

er the. Since, uh, I've heard: 1906

Vanessa: Crazy stories about, like, the staff having children. But, you know, like, back in the day, like, if you couldn't afford a child, people would have abortions illegally and stuff like that. So I've heard, like, crazy stories of staff having babies. I've heard.

Josh Garnes: I've heard there was kids on the second floor running around on the stairs.

Vanessa: And I've heard of the children playing.

Josh Garnes: I have not. I can't remember who told me that. It might have been Andrea or somebody, but, yeah, so we would talk about, like, stories and stuff sometimes.

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: But, yeah, it was kids, and there was, uh. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she told me that.

Vanessa: Yeah, I think my favorite story. And we'll quit boring you with our spooky stories. Cause not everybody, uh, is into this stuff like I am. Everyone knows that. I'm, like, the spooky queen. Um, my sister in law, her story. Uh, I'll share this where hopefully I get it right and I don't mess it up. Sorry, Erica, if I do. Um, when she was in high school, she was writing a paper, and her mother's office was in the rental office. When you first walk in, the doors that I told you, the glass doors you walk into, she needed to print a paper and work on her paper. So there was no one here. It was after hours. Um, at the Time, there wasn't, like, the key cards that you could just scan and go in. So you had to, like, physically open or unlock the door, you know, unlock it behind you, all that. So, um, she was in the office writing her paper, and there was always, like, elevator music playing over the loudspeaker. Was that still playing whenever you worked here?

Josh Garnes: I didn't use the elevator.

Vanessa: So what was everywhere played in the lobby.

Josh Garnes: Uh, so mine was a storefront, so I went in my own door. I would come throughout the, you know, go throughout the hotel sometimes.

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: Goofing off or going for a walk.

Vanessa: Right. Gotcha. So there was always this music that played, and it was, like, elevator music. And she, uh, said that it just stopped, which was, like, kind of the deafening thing happening, because it's just her there, and out of nowhere, she hears this, like, gut wrenching screaming over the speakers. Totally freaks out. Unlocks the door gets out, and she's like, what am I supposed to do? Like, I have to have my paper. And Erica is still, to this day, super studious, super smart. So, like, you know, that paper is getting done, ghost be damned, you know? So she gets herself together, goes back inside, finishes her paper, but she swears to this day that, you know, that that scream was the most terrifying thing she's ever heard in her life. And she said it played over, like, throughout the whole building.

Josh Garnes: That's crazy. Yeah.

Vanessa: Yeah.

I wonder if anybody else was in the building then. Like, did anybody else hear this

Josh Garnes: I wonder if anybody else was in the building then.

Vanessa: I don't know. That's a good air. We need to, like, ask the family. Like, did anybody else hear this?

Josh Garnes: Because if it was over a loudspeaker, whoever, you know.

Vanessa: Right.

Josh Garnes: There had to been other humans in here somewhere, right?

Vanessa: There had to be somebody, because there's people living here at that point in Time.

Let's talk about famous people that visited The Frederick

Okay, Josh, let's talk about famous people that visited the Frederick this was your homework, so I'm going to let you run this one.

Josh Garnes: Um, according to the Googles.

Vanessa: Uh, love the Googles.

Josh Garnes: The Googles is amazing. Um, the visitors over the years include Richard Nixon, Liberace, which I'm sure my great grandma came to see because she was a huge Liberace fan.

Vanessa: I was just telling Josh that in my research, um, there was a young girl, and I'll have to, um, source back to again. This was on, uh, the you grew up in Huntington page. Um, she wrote and won a contest about a day with Liberace. And there's a photo of her on that page, um, her liberace. And I think it's Liberace's brother. Um, he was coming in town for an event or something that, you know, he was being, whatever, ah, being celebrated for. And it's a picture of him, the young girl. And I think, like I said, his brother, uh, looking back at the camera. So I'm sure it was like a newspaper or something in the Time.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, I want to see that picture.

Vanessa: Yeah, it's pretty cool.

President Richard Nixon was here, stayed at this hotel, musician Liberace

All right, Josh, let's talk about famous people that came to Huntington. And you are the master of this section.

Josh Garnes: Um, yeah, so just from Google. Uh, just a little quick Google search.

Vanessa: Googles.

Josh Garnes: Google. Yeah. Um, it says President Richard Nixon was here, stayed at this hotel, um, musician liberace. So that would have probably been the seventies or eighties.

Vanessa: M. Yeah. Which I was telling, uh, Josh, a second ago, um, a lot of people came to do work, like in the Keith albee, and would stay at the Frederick There was actually a young girl. Um, I'm trying to find the picture to show Josh, uh, that wrote she was in a contest, like an essay contest of a day with Liberace. And she won it. And there is a picture, I'm assuming from, like, a newspaper, of her Liberace. And I think his brother looking at the camera and it's super cool.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, we gotta find that clipping or whatever it was in. I'd like to see it. Or the newspaper article. Um, did I say Richard Nixon? Yeah, I did say Richard Nixon. Bob Hope stayed here. Um, and also, uh, Sid Hatfield from the Matewan massacre was arrested here at this hotel.

Vanessa: Ooh, yes. You are like the master of the Hatfield McCoys. Tell me about that.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. Um, so, uh, the mate one massacre was kind of an integral part in, uh, like, I guess, us history. Uh, and it kind of brought. Gave birth to the middle class. Um, found, uh, the picture.

Vanessa: I'll share it with you guys at home.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, I guess it kind of gave birth to middle class because they fought against the mine companies. And, you know, that was part of the. What started the mine wars. And, uh, so during the meitwon massacre, um, the mayor of, uh, Matewan got killed. And Sid actually married his widow two weeks after the bait one massacre.

Vanessa: Holy cow. No one wasted Time back then at the county courthouse.

Josh Garnes: And some of the last words out of, uh, uh, mayor Testerman's mouth was, uh, he wanted Sid to take care of his wife. But I don't think he meant like that.

Vanessa: Um, he said, I'll take real good care of him.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, he did. But I guess he was. So there's two different stories why he got arrested here.

Vanessa: Okay?

Josh Garnes: And I heard he was arrested out front. And the first story is he got arrested because he married, uh, mayor, uh, Testerman's widow, I guess. Uh, and he presented, um, the wedding, uh, marriage certificate. And they let him go.

Vanessa: They released him.

Josh Garnes: M. Yeah, but there's another story where he had got arrested because of his part in the Mayweather massacre. But if that was happened, then why did they let him go, you know?

Vanessa: Right, right.

Josh Garnes: So I haven't got to the bottom of that one yet, but, uh, I.

Vanessa: Feel like it would be really hard to pinpoint who did what to who unless you had people willing to come forward in that Time. And I doubt anyone wanted to come forward.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, there was supposedly. During the manual massacre, there was supposedly a muffled shot that caused everybody else to start shooting. And then a bunch of people died.

Vanessa: Uh, everything went crazy.

hink that was in. Was it May,: 1919

Vanessa: Your knowledge of dates is, like, insane to me.

Josh Garnes: Like, I just like history.

Vanessa: And I just love that your brain works a lot better than mine does when it comes to numbers, Josh.

e We Are Marshall came out in: 2006

Another really cool thing that I think a lot of the younger people are going to remember, um, because it was all over the news and it was a really big deal was the, uh. We are Marshall. Do you remember that?

ecause that movie came out in: 2006

Vanessa: I guess that's true. My age.

Josh Garnes: It's been nearly 20 years.

Vanessa: It's kind of crazy.

would have been filming it in: 2005

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: So. Yeah, but they had the.

Vanessa: Right when I started dating Brandon, so pretty accurate.

Josh Garnes: That's actually when I first moved Huntington. So I.

Vanessa: Okay.

Josh Garnes: Drove around and, uh, I would drive and see the different filming scenes of that, you know.

Vanessa: Yeah, it's super cool. It was, um. It was really neat living in the Frederick at the Time, which I guess I was like a permanent guest of Brandon's at the Time. But, uh, they gave us, like, a Time frame that we could and could not leave our apartment because of filming. Um, we talked a little bit about, uh, the scene that they were filming. I think we went back and forth on. Was that a, uh, press conference?

Josh Garnes: Yeah, it was. I guess whenever he had taken the head coach position and, uh, they had all the news people and he did a little speech, uh, and it was in the, um, lobby, I guess, right?

Vanessa: Yeah. All, ah, five foot of, uh, Matthew McConaughey giving his big speech of, uh, coming on and moving to Huntington. M. It was super cool because I don't think in Huntington we had really had anything like that. They did the big green carpet. They shut down Fourth Avenue. All the celebrities came get out of their cars.

Josh Garnes: I think they did have one before that. A big movie was called the Rain man. I'm pretty sure they had that there. I forgot about that.

Vanessa: The gentleman that the movie was based on, he's still in Huntington.

Josh Garnes: Oh, I didn't know that. I knew he's from West Virginia, but he knows from Huntington.

Vanessa: Yeah, he's from Huntington. I see him at Applebee's, of all places.

Josh Garnes: Really?

Vanessa: Yeah.

Josh Garnes: They also did the, uh, premiere for the Hatfields and McCoys on the History Channel. That little mini series with.

Vanessa: Oh, yeah. Because you were telling me about that from your office.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. So whenever they were, um, all getting out of their limos and nice cars, I mean, I was. My office was, like, literally across the street, and I m had a big window, right. Bird's eye view down on the second floor.

Vanessa: That's pretty cool.

Josh Garnes: Of all them getting out and all the pictures, you could see my business name, which was Garn's wireless, and you're.

Vanessa: Like the master of marketing, so that's even better.

Josh Garnes: Yeah. Thanks, John Hankinson.

Vanessa: That's been a really cool thing, I think, about living in the Frederick all these years and having it in the family is anytime there's anything downtown, whether it be just a Christmas parade or a movie premiere, we have been able to sneak up in the windows and look down and not have to be out in the weather and kind of get the bird's eye view. And I think that's super cool.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, that's neat.

Vanessa: All right, Josh, well, we are super thankful that you joined us today. We're thankful that you brought banjo. Happy birthday, banjo. He's been such a great little pupper.

Josh Garnes: He's a good dog. He is ten years old today, and.

Vanessa: He'S got all those cute photos on Facebook. If you don't follow Josh, it's a fun Time. He shares all kinds of fun.

Josh Garnes: He has his own Facebook page, too. Did you know that?

Vanessa: I did not know Joe Garns.

Josh Garnes: Yeah.

Vanessa: Okay, well, never mind. Just forget about Josh. Follow the dog.

Josh Garnes: Yeah, he's a good boy.

Vanessa: All right. Thank you again for being here.

Josh Garnes: Thank you.

Vanessa: All right, you guys at home, we're thankful that you keep joining in, and we look forward to more.

Thanks for listening to the Tri State Time machine. Brought to you by Alex R. White P. Llc@suedistractedriver.com. if you have a memory you want Vanessa to talk more about, just send her an email@tstmail.com or post a comment on the Tri State Time Machine Facebook page. Did you like the episode? Be sure to share it with friends and family. Its the only way we can continue this fun work that we do. You can find a link in the show notes that you can use to share it. And be sure to let our sponsors know you like the podcast as well. Their contact information can be found in this episode's show notes.